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Biology - Unit 2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Protist | A diverse, mostly single-celled, eukaryotic organism that isn't a plant, animal, or fungus, acting as a "catch all" kingdom for eukaryotes that don't fit elsewhere. |
| Protozoa | Protozoa are a polyphyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic debris. |
| Algae | a diverse group of aquatic, photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms—ranging from unicellular microalgae to massive multicellular seaweeds—that lack true roots, stems, leaves, and vascular tissue. |
| Basal eukaryotes | early-branching, extant lineages of the Eukaryota domain that diverged near the root of the evolutionary tree, often exhibiting primitive cellular characteristics. |
| Crown eukaryote | represent the clade originating from the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA), including all its living and extinct descendants. |
| Excavata | asymmetrical, single-celled organisms with a feeding groove “excavated” from one side. |
| Parabasalia | a phylum of anaerobic, flagellated, single-celled eukaryotic protists within the supergroup Excavata ; Lack traditional mitochondria, having a specialized golgi complex. |
| Hydrogenosome | double-membrane bounded, ATP-producing organelles found in anaerobic unicellular eukaryotes that lack traditional mitochondria. |
| Diplomonadida | small zooflagellates that inhabit the digestive systems of various animals, including termites, rats, and humans |
| Mitosome | highly reduced, double-membrane-bound organelles found in certain anaerobic or microaerophilic unicellular eukaryotes |
| Cyst | a protective, dormant capsule formed by microorganisms like bacteria or protists to survive harsh conditions. |
| Discicristata | a proposed eukaryotic clade. It consists of Euglenozoa plus Percolozoa |
| Euglenida | solitary cells that move about using a single whip-like tail. Found in fresh and marine waters, along with moist soil or mud. |
| Pellicle | a thin, flexible, proteinaceous outer layer located just beneath the plasma membrane of certain unicellular eukaryotic organisms. |
| Mixotroph | an organism capable of obtaining energy and carbon through both autotrophic (photosynthesis) and heterotrophic (consuming organic matter) pathways. |
| Kinetoplastida | a class of flagellated unicellular parasites known for their unique organelles like the kinetoplast and glycosome. |
| Kinetoplast | a network of circular DNA (called kDNA) inside a mitochondrion that contains many copies of the mitochondrial genome |
| chromalveolata | a massive assemblage of single-celled and multicellular protists such as ciliates and kelps that remains to be substantiated in molecular trees. |
| Stramenopila | a monophyletic eukaryotic group characterized by the presence of two flagella, of which the immature flagellum bears tripartite hairs. |
| Laminarin | a bioactive, water-soluble polysaccharide storage glucan found in brown algae, it acts as a food reserve for the algae |
| Oomycota | a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms within the Stramenopiles. They are filamentous and heterotrophic, and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. |
| Diatoms | single-celled algae with intricate, glassy silica shells (frustules) that live in water and damp soil, forming the base of aquatic food webs by photosynthesizing to produce oxygen and organic matter |
| Frustule | the hard, porous, and silicified cell wall of a diatom, composed of two overlapping, pillbox-like halves known as the epitheca and hypotheca |
| Raphe | a slit through a valve that enables movement of the frustule along a substrate in a diatom. |
| Diatomaceous earth | a natural, silica-rich powder made from fossilized aquatic organisms (diatoms), widely used as an organic, mechanical insecticide and soil conditioner |
| Brown algae | algae belonging to a large group that includes many seaweeds, typically olive brown or greenish in color. They contain xanthophyll in addition to chlorophyll. |
| Fucoxanthin | a potent marine carotenoid found in brown algae and diatoms |
| Kelp | large, fast-growing brown algae that form dense underwater forests. They are not plants but stramenopile protists that use photosynthesis for energy. |
| Hold-fast | a root-like, basal structure that anchors sessile marine organisms—such as algae (kelp), sponges, and some cnidarians—to hard substrates like rocks and reefs |
| Stipe | a stalk-like supporting structure found in fungi, algae, and ferns, acting as a stem. |
| Blade | the flat, expanded portion of a leaf or petal |
| Golden algae | a microscopic, single-celled, flagellated organism that blooms in brackish or fresh water. It is a mixotroph, meaning it can photosynthesize or consume other organisms, allowing it to survive harsh, low-nutrient conditions. |
| Alveolata | a major supergroup of unicellular eukaryotes defined by the presence of cortical alveoli—flattened vesicles or sacs beneath the plasma membrane that provide structural support, create a flexible pellicle, and are involved in ion transport |
| Dinoflagellate | a diverse group of single-celled eukaryotic microorganisms (protists) primarily found in marine environments, characterized by two dissimilar flagella used for a spinning motion |
| Theca | one half of a diatom frustule. |
| Plankton | a diverse group of mostly microscopic organisms (plants, animals, bacteria) that drift in water columns, unable to swim against currents; primary producers. |
| Red tide | a natural phenomenon caused by the rapid, dense proliferation of microscopic algae (specifically dinoflagellates or diatoms) in coastal waters |
| Saxitoxin | a highly potent, heat-stable neurotoxin produced by marine dinoflagellates and freshwater cyanobacteria. |
| Apicomplexa | a large phylum of unicellular, obligate intracellular protozoan parasites known for causing severe diseases in humans and livestock, including malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. |
| Apical complex | a specialized, highly organized structure at the anterior end of apicomplexan parasites (e.g., Plasmodium, Toxoplasma) essential for host cell recognition, attachment, and invasion. |
| Sporozoite | infectious, motile form of Plasmodium parasites, transmitted by mosquitoes, which traverse host skin and blood to infect liver cells. |
| Ciliate | complex, single-celled eukaryotic microorganisms (phylum Ciliophora) defined by hair-like appendages called cilia used for movement, feeding, and sensation |
| Contractile vacuole | a specialized, membrane-bound organelle in freshwater protists and some algae that acts as a vital osmoregulatory pump, preventing cell bursting (lysis) in hypotonic environments. |
| Conjugation | is sexual process in which two lower organisms of the same species, such as bacteria, protozoans, and some algae and fungi, exchange nuclear material during a temporary union |
| Macronucleus | a large, highly polyploid nucleus found in ciliate protozoans (e.g., Paramecium) that controls vegetative, non-reproductive functions such as metabolism, protein synthesis, and daily development. |
| Rhizaria | a diverse, mostly unicellular eukaryotic supergroup characterized by amoeboid movement and threadlike, needle-like, or reticulose pseudopodia used for feeding and locomotion. |
| Pseudopod | temporary, amoeboid, cytoplasm-filled extensions of a cell's membrane, primarily used by protists (like amoebas) and some animal cells for movement, sensing, and engulfing food. |
| Foraminifera | single-celled, amoeboid protists with intricate shells (tests) that live in marine environments, ranging from shallow estuaries to the deep sea |
| Tests | protective, single-chambered or multi-chambered shells produced by tiny, amoeba-like marine protists (foraminifera) |
| Radiolaria | intricate, single-celled marine protists (zooplankton) known for their elaborate, glassy skeletons made of silica. |
| Cercozoa | a diverse phylum of single-celled eukaryotic protists within the Rhizaria supergroup, primarily consisting of heterotrophic amoeboflagellates, filose amoebae, and various parasites |
| Chloroarachniophyta | marine amoeboflagellate protists (Cercozoa) that are mixotrophic, combining photosynthesis with ingestion of bacteria and small prey. They are scientifically significant for having acquired photosynthesis through secondary endosymbiosis of a green alga |
| Red algae | a diverse group of mostly marine, multicellular, eukaryotic seaweeds belonging to the Archaeplastida kingdom, uniquely characterized by phycoerythrin pigment , a complex triphasic life cycle, and the absence of flagella. |
| Phycobilin | water-soluble, open-chain tetrapyrrole accessory pigments found in cyanobacteria, red algae, and glaucophytes |
| Green algae | diverse group of eukaryotic, photosynthetic microorganisms and multicellular organisms found globally in aquatic (freshwater/marine) and terrestrial habitats. |
| Pyrenoid | a protein-rich, non-membrane-bound organelle found within the chloroplasts of most algae and some hornworts that acts as a central hub for carbon dioxide fixation. |
| Unikonta | a major supergroup of eukaryotes (often now termed Amorphea) comprising organisms with a single flagellum or, in the case of amoebae, no flagella, encompassing animals, fungi, and amoebozoans |
| Amoebozoa | a diverse supergroup of eukaryotic, mostly single-celled organisms (protists) characterized by changing, amorphous shapes, and locomotion via blunt, lobe-shaped pseudopodia. |
| Amoebae | single-celled, eukaryotic microorganisms, primarily found in soil and aquatic habitats, defined by their ability to change shape using temporary, arm-like extensions called pseudopodia ("false feet") for locomotion and feeding. |
| Tubulinid | a globular protein that acts as the primary building block of microtubules, essential eukaryotic cytoskeletal filaments |
| Acellular (Plasmodial) slime mold (Myxomycota) | unique, brightly colored amoeboid protists that exist as a large, naked, multinucleate mass of protoplasm called a plasmodium. These decomposers feed on bacteria and fungi via phagocytosis. |
| Plasmodium | a genus of unicellular eukaryotic, parasitic protozoans that cause malaria in humans and other vertebrates, primarily transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. |
| Cellular slime mold (Acrasiomycota) | soil-dwelling protists that exist as individual amoeboid cells feeding on bacteria. |
| Pseudoplasmodium | a migratory, multicellular "slug" formed by the aggregation of thousands of individual amoeboid cells (usually Dictyostelium species) when food is scarce. |
| Opisthokonta | a major eukaryotic supergroup containing animals, fungi, and their protistan relatives, characterized by a single, posterior flagellum on motile cells. |
| Endosymbiosis | a biological relationship where one organism lives inside another. |
| Secondary endosymbiosis | occurs when a heterotrophic eukaryotic cell engulfs a photosynthetic eukaryotic cell (red or green alga) that already contains chloroplasts from primary endosymbiosis. |
| Nucleomorph | highly reduced vestigial nuclei from eukaryotic endosymbionts found in cryptophyte and chlorarachniophyte algae. |
Created by:
MaddieIcekamp
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